Max Ramsay
Max Ramsay was a character in Neighbours from the first episode on the 18 March 1985 to Episode 245 - 2 May 1986. He was the head of the Ramsay clan and was quite loud and uncouth, he had a bit of a bad boy edge to him in 1985 but begun to mellow by the end of the year and we saw a more comic side to him. Max also had an amusingly devious side to him, like when he pretended to be dying of heart disease after Dr. Carter diagnosed indigestion so he could get full ownership of No 24 Ramsay Street. Max wanted to feel noticed for once as he always felt he was ignored. Max was the brother of Madge Bishop and Tom Ramsay.Tom Ramsay.Max was played by the late Francis Bell. Backstory Max Ramsay was born on the 27th March 1940 in Erinsborough, the eldest son of Dan Ramsay and Edna Ramsay. Max went to school with Jim Robinson. His sister Madge Ramsay went to school in Brisbane for a while. In 1953 aged 13, Max won a sport day medal. Max did an apprenticeship and later on started a career as a plumber and wed Italian immigrant Maria Rossi in 1963 when he was 23. They had a son Shane Ramsay in 1964 and Max assumed he was the father of their next child Danny Ramsay when actually Maria had a one night stand with a traveller Tim Duncan when she had temporarily split from Max in 1966. Danny was born in June 1967 and for years Max never knew he was not his father. Max and his family lived at No 24 Ramsay Street in Erinsborough. Max did also spend some time in Vietnam. In about 1969, when Max's best friend and neighbour Jim Robinson was away in Vietnam, Max had a brief fling with Jim's wife Anne Robinson. This resulted in a child, Jill Ramsay being born. The secret was hushed up and when Jim returned from Vietnam, he was kept in the dark about it all, as was Maria Ramsay. For the next 40 years no one else but Max, Anne and Helen knew. 1985-1986 Now aged 45 in 1985, Max was the loud and uncouth plumber and the h ead of the Ramsay family. Max saw himself as the unofficial King Of Ramsay Street. In March 1985 he gatecrashed the bucks party for Des Clarke as it was making too much noise. He often argued with his wife Maria and was stubborn towards her, and occasionally verbally abusive. in April 1985, Max then found out that he was not the genetic father of Danny Ramsay, in which his marriage to Maria dissolved. Max always suspected he was not Danny's father as Danny was born within 9 months of him and Maria getting back together all those years ago. Also Max said he never felt close to Danny like he was to Shane. Max was still knocked for six when his fears were confirmed but he later came to accept that he was not Danny's blood father. Max later lost his driving license for driving under the influence of alcohol. In 1985 he held Gordon Miller at gunpoint for what he did to his son Shane. In November 1985, Max was chatting to Danny's coach Kate Drew about family secrets. Danny was stood nearby, he wondered if there was a spark between Max and Kate. Max said to Kate that he is not Danny's real father. Danny was shocked. He did not let on he was listening in and ran off. Danny was angry but understood that is why Max always used to yell at him. Danny was ready to cut all ties with Max but Shane told him that Max has bought him up and given him a roof over his head all these years. Danny confronted Max. Max then said that Danny is as much his son as Shane is and he loves Danny. They cleared the air once and for all and hugged. Danny and Max's relationship improved and he was gentler to him from them on. In January 1986 Max crossed swords with new neighbour Clive Gibbons. Max became more of a comic character and less abusive but could still be uncouth and amusingly shouty. In March 1986, Max collapsed in pain after Danny lost all Max's money on a gamble. Now in his mid 40's, Max worried he had heart disease but refused to go to the doctor. Shane and Madge persuaded him so Max went to the doctors. He had chronic indigestion and when given the all clear, he pretended he was dying so he could get waited on hand and foot. He even said his dying wish was to get full ownership of No 24, seeing as he owned only 51%. Jim gave him his gold watch, and Zoe Davis and Daphne took Max out for dinner, on them. When Helen and Madge took Lucy Robinson to the doctors, they said they were saddened to hear Max had heart disease and the perplexed Dr. Carter said there is nothing wrong with his heart, he is OK, all he has is chronic indigestion. Helen and Madge planned a revenge ploy on Max, and told several of her neighbours to play along with it. Zoe and Daphne were furious to hear Max wasn't dying. The next day, Jim asked for his watch back, and Zoe and Daphne asked for the money for the meal the bought him. Des Clarke told Max they found out from the doctor he was fine and were plotting a hilarious revenge plot. Max said he pretended to be dying as he felt people treated him decent for the first time in his life. He wanted to feel noticed for a change. Shows that under that bravado, Max was not sure of himself. In early May 1986 Max, while trying to win a pancake competition, was called to see his wife Maria in Brisbane so had to book a last minute flight from Erinsborough to Brisbane. On the day he got the call from Maria he did not tell anyone where he was going so Madge, Shane and Danny wondered where Max had gone, seeing as he had entered for the local pancake competition. That night, Max called the Ramsay household to let them know he was at the airport and waiting for a flight to Brisbane, and told Madge he had been called there by Maria. He phoned up his brother Tom to come to Erinsborough and cover for him. In Episode 267 - 3 June 1986, a month after he left Erinsborough, Max rung Tom to say that he had reconciled with Maria and had got a 2 month contract for a job in Brisbane. There was debate as to when Max would be returning to Erinsborough, if he would be returning. Ramsay Street would be a bit quieter without Max though. In August 1986, Max and Tom swapped ownership of their houses, Tom now owned Max's house in Erinsborough and Max now owns Tom's house in Brisbane. This confirmed that Max would not be returning to Erinsborough and was now staying in Brisbane for good. Post 1986 Max has never been back to Erinsborough since he went to Brisbane in 1986, not even for a visit. He did send a telegram from Brisbane to Des and Daphnes wedding in 1986 and one to Scott and Charlene's wedding in July 1987. In April 1988, Max heard about Madge's upcoming wedding to Harold Bishop. Madge spoke to him on the phone. She asked if he was getting plane tickets to Erinsborough to attend the wedding. He never did though. Max did not even attend his sister Madge's funeral in 2001. In 2009 it was revealed that Max had an affair with Anne Robinson in the 1960s. Max was not contacted by Paul Robinson to confirm this, and he was only mentioned in past tense, thus indicating that he may have died by then. As the actor Francis Bell had died in 1994, it was hinted in 2009 that Max had died. Max was mentioned again in March 2015 but again in past tense. Paul mentioned Daniel Robinson's "Great uncle Max". Max woud have been 75 years old by 2015. If Max had lived, by March 2020, next year, he would have had his 80th birthday. He would probably be just as fiery and feisty and foolish as he was in 1985 aged 45. Memorable info Birthday: 24 March 1940 Died: Inbetween 1990 and 2009 Full Name: Max Ramsay Nickname: Mad Max Behind The Scenes Max Ramsay never got a proper farewell scene as actor Francis Bell left the show suddenly as he took sick leave due to a bad back. Max's last scene was in the kitchen of No 24 as usual, and he was bantering with Madge about the pancake competition. Two episodes later, Madge then got a phonecall from him to say he was at the airport on his way to Brisbane to see Maria as an upset Maria had summoned him to Brisbane as she needed his help. During actor Francis Bell's sick leave he decided to leave Neighbours completely, so he never returned to the show when he got better as he was written out at short notice, hence why Max never got a proper farewell scene. Francis has been considering resigning due to the daily grind of playing a major role in a 5 day a week soap opera. So they quickly cast Gary Files to play the previously mentioned brother, Tom Ramsay to take over from Max. The scriptwriters crossed out dialogue given for "Max" and replaced it with "Tom". The scriptwriters also later wrote in dialogue to say that Max had decided to stay in Brisbane and would not be returning to Erinsborough. Personality Quotes First Line: "Hahahahaha" Final Line: "I am known for my reasonableness". Family Father Dan Ramsay Mother Edna Ramsay Grandfathers Jack Ramsay Siblings Tom Ramsay, Madge Bishop Spouse Maria Ramsay (1963-present) Children Shane Ramsay (1964), Jill Ramsay (1969) Grandchildren Kate Ramsay, Sophie Ramsay Adoptive Children Danny Ramsay Aunts/Uncles Maud Ramsay Nieces Charlene Robinson, Moira Ramsay, Gemma Ramsay Nephews Henry Ramsay Great niece - Roxy Willis Residences * No 24 Ramsay Street (19?-1985) (1985-1986) * Max Ramsay's Bedsit (1985) See also *Max Ramsay - List of appearances *Ramsay Family Tree *The Ramsay Family Gallery Naybers max 1985.png|Max in 1985. Maxwell Ramsay (1940-) in 1986..jpg|Max in 1986. naybers max 1986.png|Mad Max Ramsay scowling. naybers max gatecrashes party 1985.png|Max gatecrashes the bucks party in 1985. Naybers ep 243.png|Max making pancakes. Naybers ep 212.png|Max pretends he is dying, so he can get full ownership of No 24. naybers max with cricket ball.png|Mad Max Ramsay looks through the smashed window holding the cricket ball. naybers max in pool with laura.png|Max, with straight hair for once, in the pool with Laura Dennison. Naybers ep 200.png|Max collapses with chronic indigestion after Danny loses all his horse racing winnings. naybers max on phone 1985.png|Max is annoyed with the noisy bucks party in the early hours of the morning and wants Jim to stop it. Naybers eppie 245.png|Max's last ever scene. Naybers 239.png|Max and Madge 1986. 245-11.png|Max's last ever shot. Crying buckets. Category:Neighbours characters. Category:Original characters. Category:Past characters. Category:Characters first seen in 1985. Category:Characters last seen in 1986. Category:Ramsay family. Category:Plumbers. Category:Neighbours bad boys. Category:1940 births. Category:1963 marriages. Category:Residents of 24 Ramsay Street. Category:Fictional Australians of English descent. Category:Deaths prior to 2009. Category:Characters who died off-screen Category:Comedians.